Game employing tiltable game board with an inverted cup and two balls

ABSTRACT

A game of skill employs a rimmed flat game board on which an inverted cup and at least two balls are free to move as the board is tilted. The game begins with one ball inside the inverted cup. The object of the game is to tilt the board to drive the cup against the board rim with sufficient force to cause one side of the cup to lift. While the cup is thus partially lifted the second ball must be rolled inside the cup.

United States Patent 1191 Mazuela 1451 Apr. 2, 1974 1 GAME EMPLOYING TILTABLE GAME BOARD WITH AN INVERTED CUP AND TWO BALLS [76] Inventor: Jose Luis Pemjean Mazuela, 5 Jalan Labat Daun, Singapore 28, Chile [22] Filed: May 5, 1972 [21] Appl. N0.: 250,788

[52] US. Cl 273/117, 273/127 R, 273/128 A [51] Int. Cl. A63f 7/00 [58] Field of Search 273/108, 109, 110, 113,

273/115, 117,118 R, 118 D, 123 R, 126 R, 128 R, 128 A, 116,91, 85 F, 94 F, 87 E, 153 R, 153 8; 46/43 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 524,258 8/1894 MacNeal 273/117 488,819 12/1892 Keil 273/117 Young 273/117 775,695 11/1904 1,977,814 10/1934 Warner... 273/110 436,751 9/1890 Allen 273/117 731,957 6/1903 Schierhorst... 273/109 1,522,307 1/1925 Lewis 273/110 Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Harry G. Strappello Attorney, Agent, or FirmR0se & Edell [57] ABSTRACT A game of skill employs a rimmed flat game board on which an inverted cup and at least two balls are free to move as the board is tilted. The game begins with one ball inside the inverted cup. The object of the game is to tilt the board to drive the cup against the board rim with sufficient force to cause one side of the cup to lift. While the cup is thus partially lifted the second ball must be rolled inside the cup.

7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures GAME EMPLOYING TILTABLE GAME BOARD WITH AN INVERTED CUP AND TWO BALLS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a game and more particularly to games of the type wherein a game board is tilted to achieve desired objectives.

Most games of the type in which one or more balls are moved along a game board by tilting the board involve more chance than skill. Such games usually require the player to roll the ball into a recess in the board, or to move a plurality of balls into such recesses according to some specified pattern. The degree of skill involved in such games is minimal and the games soon lose their challenge and appeal.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a game of the type described which involves a definite degree of skill and which continues to be a challenge to the player.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention a flat game board is tiltable to permit an inverted cup and at least two balls to move along the board. The board includes an upstanding rim surrounding the playing area. The object of the game is to tilt the board so that the inverted cup, with one ball inside, is driven against the rim with sufficient force to lift one side of the cup from the game board. While the cup is thus temporarily raised, the board must be manipulated to cause the second ball to roll under the cup.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and still further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of one specific embodiment thereof, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a game board and components movable thereon according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partially diagrammatic side view in partial section illustrating how an inverted cup is temporarily partially raised from the same board of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a partially diagrammatic side view in partial section illustrating how a ball is rolled under the raised cup of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring specifically to FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings, a game board 10 includes a flat circular playing suface 11. Playing surface 11 is surrounded by an upstanding rim 12. Disposed on playing surface 11 are an inverted cup 13, a large ball 14, and two smaller balls 15, 16.

Inverted cup 13 is preferably, although not necessarily, made from plastic and is semi-spherical in configuration with an annular lip 17 surrounding its open side. The balls l4, l and 16 may be steel or the like, with ball 14 preferably having twice the diameter of balls 15, 16.

In playing the game, large ball 14 should always be under the inverted cup 13. The object of the game is to tilt game board so that the cup is driven against rim 12 with sufficient force to partially and temporarily lift one side of the cup from the playing surface. With the cup thus partially raised, the smaller balls 15 and 16 are supposed to be rolled under the cup by appropriately tilting game board 10.

Referring specifically to FIG. 2, the manner in which inverted cup 13 is partially lifted is represented diagrammatically. By tilting the game board 10 downward to the left (as viewed in FIG. 2), ball 14 inside cup 13 is caused to roll toward rim 12. When the lip 17 of cup 13 strikes rim 12, the momentum of large ball 14 acts against the inside wall of the cup to effectively pivot the cup upward about the point of impact between lip 17 and rim 12. The side of the cup remote from rim 12 is thereby temporarily raised off playing surface 11.

Referring now to FIG. 3, if the game board is properly tilted while inverted cup 13 is partially raised above surface 11, a small ball 15 may berolled under the cup. When cup 13 falls back onto surface 11, ball 15 is captured, along with ball 14, under the cup.

The skill required to play the game as described involves timing the manipulation of game board 10. Specifically, cup 13 is partially raised for only a very short time; and it is during this short time that the board must be tilted to direct either of balls 15, 16 under the cup.

The game is played against time, each player trying to get either of balls 15, 16 under the cup in as short a period of time as possible. Occasionally both of balls l5, 16 will be captured under the cup together; however this is rare and would not usually be considered an object of the game;

Typical dimensions for the game components, which by no means are to be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention, are as follows:

inches Playing Area diameter 8% Height of rim 12 15/32 Diameter of cup 13 without lip 17 l l3/l6 Outside diameter of lip 17 2 Diameter of ball 14 l% Diameter of balls 15, 16 9/]6 It will be appreciated that the playing area need not be circular, although such configuration is deemed optimal for playing the game. In addition, cup 13 need not be semi-spherical, but may be box-like with an appropriate lip; however, a semispherical cup is also deemed optimal for playing the game.

While I have described and illustrated one specific embodiment of my invention, it will be clear that variations of the details of construction which are specifically illustrated and described may be resorted to without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A game structure comprising:

a tiltable game board having a flat playing surface;

an upstanding wall member defining a playing area on said playing surface;

a cup-like member having at least one open end which is arranged to be positioned for unconstrained sliding movement along said playing surface within said playing area when said playing surface is tilted relative to horizontal, said cup-like member having a lip surrounding said open end and projecting radially outward from said cup-like member along said playing surface;

at least first and second balls positioned within said playing area and arranged for free rolling motion when said playing surface is tilted relative to horizontal, both of said balls being capable of fitting into said cup-like member together, at least said first ball being sufficiently large relative to the height of said lip to temporarily tip said cup-like member and thereby raise a portion of said lip off said playing surface when said first ball is inside said cup-like member and said playing surface is tilted to cause said lip to impact against said upstanding wall;

whereby an object of said game is to roll said second ball under said cup-like member While the latter is temporarily tipped by said first ball.

2. The game structure according to claim 1 wherein said first ball is approximately twice the size of said second ball.

3. The game structure according to claim 2 further comprising a third ball approximately the same size as said second ball and disposedin said playing area so as to roll when said playing surface is tilted relative to horizontal.

4. The game structure according to claim 2 wherein said cup-like member is semi-spherical in configuration and said lip is an annulus extending around said open end.

5. The game structure according to claim 4 wherein said playing area, as defined by said upstanding wall, is circular.

6. The game structure according to claim 1 wherein said cup-like member is semi-spherical in configuration and said lip is an annulus extending around said open end.

7. The game structure according to claim 6 wherein said playing area, as defined by said upstanding wall, is

circular. 

1. A game structure comprising: a tiltable game board having a flat playing surface; an upstanding wall member defining a playing area on said playing surface; a cup-like member having at least one open end which is arranged to be positioned for unconstrained sliding movement along said playing surface within said playing area when said playing surface is tilted relative to horizontal, said cup-like member having a lip surrounding said open end and projecting radially outward from said cup-like member along said playing surface; at least first and second balls positioned within said playing area and arranged for free rolling motion when said playing surface is tilted relative to horizontal, both of said balls being capable of fitting into said cup-like member together, at least said first ball being sufficiently large relative to the height of said lip to temporarily tip said cup-like member and thereby raise a portion of said lip off said playing surface when said first ball is inside said cup-like member and said playing surface is tilted to cause said lip to impact against said upstanding wall; whereby an object of said game is to roll said second ball under said cup-like member while the latter is temporarily tipped by said first ball.
 2. The game structure according to claim 1 wherein said first ball is approximately twice the size of said second ball.
 3. The game structure according to claim 2 further comprising a third ball approximately the same size as said second ball and disposed in said playing area so as to roll when said playing surface is tilted relative to horizontal.
 4. The game structure according to claim 2 wherein said cup-like member is semi-spherical in configuration and said lip is an annulus extending around said open end.
 5. The game structure according to claim 4 wherein said playing area, as defined by said upstanding wall, is circular.
 6. The game structure according to claim 1 wherein said cup-like member is semi-spherical in configuration and said lip is an annulus extending around said open end.
 7. The game structure according to claim 6 wherein said playing area, as defined by said upstanding wall, is circular. 